really old stop tap

[Jennie]

Hiya all,
I'm doing some plumbing for a friend. I found what appears to be her stoptap, on lead pipe coming into the property via the outside toilet (does that sound right? I've only seen them under sinks previously).
I tried to turn it off. It turned, though not where I expected - see arrow on my pic. It was opening/closing along a screwthread. (I was expecting it to rotate behind a packing gland nut, like usual, though this doesn't quite look like the stoptaps I'm used to). I was scared the tap might unscrew itself and pop out.
Are those screwthreads prone to leaking?
Advice would be much appreciated, as always.
Thanks so much everyone.
Jennie

:smiley2:

 

[Mike Jackson]

That's the gland nut unscrewing. You need to clean all the paint off the shaft.

 

[glenno1]

They can leak,i would hold gland with grips or turn it off and remove/repair gland

 

[Jennie]

Would it be easier to turn off the water in the street, and fit a new tap (just the tap head/workings)? Would a new tap be of the same sizings?
Thanks for your advice.

 

[Simon F]

is it lead?? hard to see with all the paint.
turning of at the street may well be a good idea, but do you really want to swap the tap??

 

[tamz]

The paint is making the spindle stick to the gland nut. Scrape the paint off with and tighten the gland nut a crack then move it. A spray of wd40 might help ease it (after you get the paint off)

 

[Jennie]

I'll definitely try that. Just wondering... why is so much screw thread showing on the gland nut? Should it ideally be screwed in all the way?

 

[tamz]

No it should be sitting proud like that. There is packing string behind it which stops the water passing up the spindle. If the valve leaks through the gland nut you tighten it slightly. Tighten it too much and you won't be able to turn the valve.
Next time you take an old stopcock out strip it to bits to see how it is put together and what is inside it.

 

[stevetheplumber]

if you cant get the correct packing string which is most likley use ptfe wrapped round the spindle and pack it in with a screwdriver so you can get the gland nut to start usually only a couple of turns are needed

 

[mountainman]

The proper packing was Stemoline String.
It used to be asbestos based so probably no longer ma

 

[mountainman]

de
Ordinary cotton string coated in silicon grease or Vaseline works well.

 

[kay-jay]

if you cant get the correct packing string which is most likley use ptfe wrapped round the spindle and pack it in with a screwdriver so you can get the gland nut to start usually only a couple of turns are needed

this will only work temporary. turn the tap off and on again and it will most likely leak. i usually use loctite thread. makes the tap good as new